And the waters became still…

I started working on my former WiP today. I’ve been unable to write much for Lady of the Snow recently; getting 500 words out is a challenge on a daily basis. But I just wrote 500 in less than twenty minutes for my other WiP. If anything, it’ll help me get the juices flowing again for Lady of the Snow, a project I desperately want to work on. Perhaps because I’m so desperate to work on it, it’s getting in the way of the story.

I’ve got such a lack of focus. It’s sad really 😛

If you’re stumbling on a project, do you divert your attention elsewhere? Does it help?

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Novel Plotting & Lack of Focus

I am hoping to spend some time this weekend writing a loose chapter summary for Lady of the Snow.

I say “loose” because when I actually do start writing, I generally veer off from said guideline in some way. But it helps me organize my thoughts and see where I’m trying to go. I can see plot holes better this way too.

I wish I could be the “just jump in and write” type but I find that I encounter more walls that way and it becomes a rambling mess. Well, most of my first drafts are a rambling mess anyway, but it becomes less so if I attempt to draw up a story map of sorts.

On another note, I just realized that I’m supposed to submit something from my other novel for critique by Thursday. Actually it was supposed to be this past Thursday (ha!) 😛 I’m wondering if I should tell the group that I need time to re-focus on other things (namely the new project) because my heart just isn’t in the other one at this point. I feel like I wouldn’t be gaining as much from the critique. I still want to be part of the sessions but we’re supposed to be actively posting to be part of the group. So…I don’t know, something I’m going to have to think about this weekend.

Maybe as I’m working on this new book I can submit chapters. I don’t know…I really don’t want to leave the group; our numbers are already dwindling as it is and I’ve gained friends there too.

Sigh. I wish I could just focus on something. I bet this is one reason why many writers never do get published–lack of focus!

Two Novels at Once

For the longest time, I only worked on my historical novel, Promise of the Plum Blossom*.  For at least two years I’ve focused solely on writing and researching that novel.

And suddenly, this new story, Lady of the Snow* , just popped up.

The last week or two I’ve solely focused on the latter, neglecting my first one. It’s times like this where I know I have what I call “Writer’s Attention Deficit Disorder,” meaning I’ve lost focus on the book I should be trying to finish.  I should be aiming to finish Promise and I do wonder if this is another subconscious way of procrastinating yet again on that one.

But then I think this Writer’s ADD is something that I shouldn’t be fighting. I mean, if the ideas and inspiration are coming for Lady of the Snow, I should focus on that now. Right? Otherwise what fragments of ideas may be lost.

 I  think I should embrace this new idea for a little while as I rejuvenate the desire for Promise again. It’ll always be there to work on when I feel the creative juices flowing slower with this new one. And vice versa.

Perhaps this two novels at once is better than I originally thought 🙂

Do you work on more than one project or novel at a time?

*Working titles only; will most likely change.

Five Chapters, Over 5,000 Words

I’d say today managed to be fairly productive. 🙂

I started at around 1 or so and stopped just now at 6:00. Official count of words written today: 5,208.

I took a break or so every time I wrote a chapter (a break meaning 5 or 10 minutes). One of those breaks ended up being 20 minutes as I wrote brief summaries for the end of the book. It goes up to Chapter 70.

I really wish I could have gotten ten chapters done; then I’d only have 10  more to go.

Currently, I just finished Chapter 54 (wrote Chapter 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 today) and since I’m thinking the ending won’t be until 70, I still have about 16 chapters to write. Gah. I seriously thought I had less than that. Oh well.

If I focus more on it, I could have this finished in two weeks.

I figure the only way to get it done is tell myself a few days ahead of time that I’m locking myself away for a certain period of time. It prepares my psyche for it, as odd as that sounds. I had been “preparing” all week, so it came a lot easier than had I not planned it (my unplanned writing sessions generally only last an hour or two and maybe I get two chapters written in that time).

Of course most of what was written was utter dreck, but there were some good parts in there (like the scene when the antagonist is forcing my MC to eat because she had initially refused to). I find that the dialogue comes easily but that the “stage directions” and descriptive parts don’t 😛 Oh well that’s what the editing process is for.

Well I’m off to figure out what’s for dinner tonight. I feel great about getting this done!

I’ve Come to This Conclusion

I will not finish this first draft unless I close myself away in my study for a day.

Seriously.

That’s the only way I’ll be able to focus.

It’s tempting to take a personal day off from work to get this done. But alas, I’m a good girl and will not do that (and we really need the money…).

The only other option is to do it on Saturday. And this Saturday preferably. It would be a good time because my hubby has a friend coming down to stay. They will most likely play video games all day (a.k.a. World of Warcraft). The only thing I’m concerned about is the puppy. I don’t want him stuck in his crate all day. Perhaps if I tell my husband I’m locking myself in the study to get my book finished, he’ll watch the puppy. 🙂

I think I’m a day’s work away from being done. Now who knows how much my attention span will be able to last. Normally I can write 3 hours at a time before my mind starts to wander and it becomes hard to focus on anything and my writing becomes equivalent to that of an average ten-year-old.

Now, if I close myself away, I’ll still only be able to work three hours at a time, but if I look at it like that’s my job and I have a deadline to meet (at least for the day), it’s possible to finish. Or come really close.

Has anyone closed themselves off from the world to get their writing done? If so, for how long? And how do you keep yourself focused in this time?